In Luke's Gospel, in c.6 Jesus introduces the discussion on the Sabbath of which He is Lord, at the service of life, more important than rules - and which in any case must not enslave the person, always at the centre of the work of salvation.

Francis of Assisi, the one who called himself simple and idiotic, had received authentic evangelical wisdom from on high.

He was not bound by commonplaces, he was a new man, free from tinsel and pre-established schemes, living only by the Word - declaring Jesus Lord.

In the Sources there is an episode that highlights this well:

"When Francis began to have brothers, he stayed with them at Rivotorto*.

Once, at midnight, while they were all resting [...] a friar suddenly cried out: I die! I die! All the others woke up stupefied and terrified.

Francis got up and said: «Arise, brothers, and light a lamp». Having lighted the lamp, the saint questioned:

«Who cried out: I die?». He answered: «It is I». Francis resumed:

«What is the matter with you brother? What are you dying of?». And he: «I am dying of hunger».

Francis, being a man full of goodness and kindness, immediately had the table prepared.

And so that the brother would not be ashamed to eat alone, they all sat down to eat with him [...].

After the meal Francis spoke:

«Just as we must refrain from excessive eating, harmful to body and soul, so, and even more, from excessive abstinence, since the Lord prefers mercy to sacrifice»" (FF 1545).

The Lord of the soul rules over all things!

And the Poor Man understood this well.

«The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath» (Lk 6:5)

*Rivotorto: locality in the plain of Assisi, about three kilometres from the Portiuncula.

Saturday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 6,1-5)

The text of Luke presents Jesus responding to the scribes and Pharisees about fasting. Now the Bridegroom is with them and they will not fast, when he is taken from them they will fast.

Logic that breaks down the legalistic mentality.

In the Sources we have various passages that highlight the Poor Man of Assisi's way of acting on this subject.

The Minim forbade excesses.

Francis knew well how to discern between the importance of fasting and exaggeration in practising it.

In his life, never did form take the place of substance. The Franciscan Sources illustrate the point:

"Francis reproached his brothers who were too hard on themselves and who were exhausted by vigils, fasts, prayers and corporal penances [...].

The man of God forbade such excesses, admonishing those brothers lovingly and calling them to common sense, healing their wounds with the medicine of wise instructions [...].

He spoke with them, identifying himself with their situation, not as a judge then, but as an understanding father with his children and as a compassionate doctor with his own sick.

He knew how to be sick with the sick, afflicted with the afflicted" (FF 1470).

All this while being "a new man, [who] with new virtues renewed the way of perfection that had disappeared from the world" (FF 3162).

As a mature and profoundly human person, he knew how to help his brothers, evaluating the different situations he had before him.

In the Legend of the Three Companions: "Nevertheless, when it was appropriate, he chastised those who committed offences" (FF 1470).

Francis had received, by Grace, the immeasurable gift of true discernment.

The Little One did not betray substance for form: he kept both in a sensible human and spiritual balance.

«But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast in those days» (Lk 5:35)

Friday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 5:33-39)

After fishing all night without catching any fish, Peter threw himself at the knees of Jesus who made an incredibly fruitful catch, entrusting him and the other disciples with the mission of becoming fishers of souls for God.

In the Sources, Francis often exhorts his disciples not to be afraid of being considered unbalanced in order to proclaim the Gospel.

The Poverello, a man of God and rich in faith in the Lord, became by grace a 'fisher of men'. Indeed, many flocked to follow and listen to him.

The Franciscan documentation instructs:

"Francis, full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, to the six brothers [...] summoning them to himself from the forest that stretched near the Portiuncula, into which they often entered to pray [...].

He said:

«Beloved brothers, considering our vocation, God, in his mercy, has called us not only for our salvation, but also for that of many others.

Let us go therefore through the world, exhorting everyone, by example rather than by words, to do penance for their sins and to remember God's commandments».

He continued:

«Do not be afraid of being thought insignificant or deranged, but proclaim penance with courage and simplicity.

Trust in the Lord, who has overcome the world! He speaks by His Spirit in you and through you, admonishing men and women to be converted to Him and to observe His precepts.

You will meet some faithful, meek and benevolent ones, who will receive you and your words with joy.

Many more, however, will be the unbelieving, proud, blasphemers, who will insult you and resist you and your proclamation.

Propose to yourselves [...] to bear everything with patience and humility» " (FF 1440).

«Do not be afraid; from now on you will be a 'fisher' of men» (Lk 5:10)

Thursday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 5,1-11)

In today's passage, Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law and, at sunset, many sick and possessed people, continuing his journey to announce the Good News of the Kingdom.

The Poverello of Assisi, among the many gifts received from on high, had that of preferring the proclamation of the Gospel, so that all might enjoy the encounter with Christ the Saviour.

In fact we read in the Sources, in the Vita Prima of Celano:

"In the midst of the despondency into which the doctrine of the Gospel had fallen, not in particular but in general, the Providence of God sent this man into the world, so that, like the apostles, he might be a witness to the truth before all men.

And truly he showed clearly, by word and example, how foolish earthly wisdom was, and in short, under the guidance of Christ, he led men, through the foolishness of preaching, to authentic divine Wisdom.

Thanks to this close union with Christ, he performed many healings of those who had recourse to him.

In fact: "A woman, infirm for many years and completely immobilised in her bed, as soon as she had made a vow to God and to blessed Francis, rose again healed and able to attend to all her occupations.

In the city of Narni there lived a woman who for eight years had had a withered hand that was completely useless. One day the blessed Father appeared to her and, touching her ailing hand, made it fit for work like the other" (FF 558).

Thus the Lord worked wonders of all kinds through his servant Francis.

«To the other cities also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, for I was sent for this»  (Lk 4:43)

Wednesday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 4:38-44)

In today's Gospel Jesus arouses amazement in people by his authoritative word, healing in the synagogue a possessed man who was trying to "exorcise" the presence of the Lord.

In the Franciscan Sources we find that assiduous contemplation and purity of life had made Francis powerful over evil by grace, making him a credible witness to the Lord through numerous healings.

The Sources eloquently illuminate in this regard:

"People of all ages [...] ran to see and hear that new man.

He pilgrimaged through the various regions, fervently proclaiming the Gospel; and the Lord cooperated, confirming the Word with the miracles that accompanied it.

Indeed, in the name of the Lord, Francis, preacher of the truth, cast out demons, healed the sick" (FF 1212).

Once "I do not know how to qualify the horrible illness from which a brother suffered, some attributed it to the presence of an evil devil. The poor man would often throw himself to the ground and, squinting his eyes in a horrible way, he would foam all over his mouth; his limbs now contracted, now stretched out, now rigid, now bent and twisted [...] Saint Francis had immense compassion for him, went to him, blessed him, humbly praying to God, and the sick man obtained prompt and complete health and never suffered such an evil again" (FF 440).

"In Città di Castello, a woman was possessed by an evil and furious spirit: as soon as the Saint [...] had obediently ordered [him to come out of her], the demon fled full of indignation, leaving the poor obsessed woman free in body and soul" (FF 1219)

Francis had married the Light that gave no more room to evil.

«They were amazed at his teaching because his Word was with authority» (Lk 4:32)

Tuesday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 4:31-37)

Jesus is in the synagogue in Nazareth. He proclaims from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah:

«The Spirit of the Lord upon me; therefore he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor [...]» (Lk 4:18).

After rewinding it, he affirms that, in that Today, the Scripture heard by the bystanders was fulfilled.

Francis, in the footsteps of Christ, invested by the power of the Spirit of God, followed the call that had been addressed to him by the Lord with courage, despite adversity.

In the Sources it is attested that "Francis, who never trusting in himself, in every decision sought inspiration from God in prayer, chose to live not for himself alone, but for Him who died for all, well aware that he had been sent by God to conquer souls" (FF 381).

Aware of his mandate to the poor, of having been called to proclaim the Good News, "he became a herald of the Gospel. He began, in fact, to travel through towns and villages and to proclaim the Kingdom of God there, relying not on persuasive speeches of human wisdom, but on the demonstration of spirit and power' (FF 1072).

He took care not to be disturbed, in his proclamation of the Gospel, by those who despised him:

"I will not be able to consider myself a true friar minor if I do not remain equally serene when they vilify me and ignominiously drive me away" (FF 1639).

The prophetic gaze bestowed on him from on high led him to look beyond appearances for the liberation of the oppressed.

Monday 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 4,16-30)

Jesus explains to his closest disciples that the Son of Man will not enjoy worldly triumphs, and that he will have to suffer greatly at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the scribes. He then rebukes Peter – who represents us all – for his superficial way of thinking, which is not in accordance with God.

But anyone who came into contact with Francis immediately realised that he was a man who thought according to God and not according to men.

Indeed, his words and his actions were so different from the common way of thinking and behaving that they aroused amazement.

The Sources, precious testimonies of the time, confirm this.

“Truly, Francis always carried that little bunch of myrrh* in his heart; he always gazed upon the face of his Christ; he always remained in contact with the Man of Sorrows, who knows all suffering” (FF 672).

In the sufferings of the poor, he saw those of the Poor One par excellence: Christ; and he strove to alleviate them in every way.

“Once, whilst returning from Siena, he met a poor man. It so happened that Francis, because of illness, was wearing a cloak over his habit.

Looking with compassionate eyes upon that man’s misery, he said to his companion:

«We must give this cloak back to this poor man: for it is his. Indeed, we have received it on loan, until such time as we might come across someone poorer than ourselves».

His companion, however, considering the state in which the compassionate father found himself, flatly refused: he had no right to neglect his own needs in order to provide for another.

But the Saint said:

«I believe that the Great Almsgiver will accuse me of theft if I do not give what I am wearing to those who are more in need» (FF 1143).

An example of thinking according to God and according to men.

Two vastly different ways of thinking: love that gives itself completely, without regard for the sufferings to be borne to the point of exhaustion – and self-love that flees, or wishes to flee, from everything that is trial, suffering, discomfort or inconvenience.

Francis had chosen Christ and loved: he thought as Jesus did, according to the measure of the Gospel.

The Herald of the Great King, in truth, continually repeated to the Son of God, through the very fact of his existence:

«You are the Christ».

In all that he did, its echo could always be heard.

* Myrrh, enclosed in special pouches or sachets, was worn around the neck by the elegant women of the time. Here, the sprig of myrrh symbolises the suffering Christ, ever lovingly present in Francis’s heart.

«Get behind me, satan! [you] are a stumbling block to me, for you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men!» (Mt 16:23)

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year A  (Mt 16:21–27)

The passage proposed on this day is the passage from Mark that narrates the martyrdom of the Baptist.

Herod wanted to have John killed because he reproached him for his offences, but at the same time he feared the crowd who considered him a prophet.

The theme of persecution combined with the people's favour for the man of God is also present in Francis of Assisi.

In the Sources:

"Since the herald of Christ was famous for these and many other prodigies, the people paid attention to his words as if he spoke as an Angel of the Lord.

Indeed, the prerogative of the lofty virtues, the spirit of prophecy, the thaumaturgic power, the mission to preach coming from heaven, the obedience of creatures deprived of reason, the sudden conversions of hearts brought about by hearing his word, the knowledge infused by the Holy Spirit and superior to human doctrine, the authorisation to preach granted by the Supreme Pontiff by divine revelation, as well as the Rule, which defines the form of preaching, confirmed by the Vicar of Christ himself and, finally, the signs of the Supreme King impressed like a seal on his body, are like ten testimonies for the whole world and confirm without a shadow of a doubt that Francis, the herald of Christ, is worthy of veneration for the mission received, authentic in the doctrine taught, admirable for his holiness and that, therefore, he preached the Gospel of Christ as a true envoy of God" (FF 1221).

For this he too encountered persecution.

But to his brothers, in the Regola non bollata, he reminds them:

"And let all the brethren, wherever they are, remember that they have given themselves and abandoned their bodies to our Lord Jesus Christ. And for his love they must expose themselves to enemies both visible and invisible, for the Lord says:

«He who loses his soul for my sake will save it for eternal life» " (FF 45).

Francis sacrificed his whole self on the altar of charity and poverty for the sake of the Kingdom, leaving a shining example to all.

«And immediately the king sent a guard and ordered his head to be brought» (Mk 6:27)

Martyrdom of St John the Baptist  (Mk 6:17-29)

Chapter twenty-five of Matthew's Gospel begins with the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins.

The former procure the oil for the lamp while waiting for the Bridegroom and the latter do not think of having it, cutting themselves off from the wedding feast.

In the Sources, the thought runs to the virgin Clare, who bore inscribed in her name her personal figure and mission.

Both in the Process of canonisation and in the Papal Bull proclaiming her sanctity, Clare of Assisi appears concretely as a wise and vigilant virgin, the one of whom the Gospel speaks.

In the Sources:

"This was the lofty candelabrum of holiness, which shines brightly in the tabernacle of the Lord: to whose great splendour many flocked, attracted, and still do, to light their lamps by that light.

This one, indeed, planted in the field of faith and cultivated the vineyard of poverty, from which we reap bountiful and copious fruits of salvation.

This one, in the territory of the Church, cultivated the garden of humility, adorned with every kind of poverty, in which every virtue flourishes in abundance' (Bull of canonisation, Clara Claris praeclara, FF 3295).

And again:

"Assiduous also in her vigils and intent on prayer, in this above all she spent the greater part of the day and night" (FF 3300).

And, wonderfully, in her Blessing, Clare addresses her present and future sisters:

«Always be lovers of God and of your souls and of all your sisters, and always be solicitous to observe what you have promised the Lord» (FF 2857).

She was truly the virgin who never lacked the oil of Love and vigilant Faith.

Clare, through her luminous life, showed everyone the linear and generous, prudent and attentive path of the virgin who awaits the Bridegroom with the lamp lit day and night, always prepared to welcome the Lord.

«Behold the Bridegroom! Come out and meet him!» (Mt 25:6)

Friday of the 21st wk. in O.T.  (Mt 25,1-13)